ORLANDO | The Board of Directors of One Orlando Alliance announced the selection of former Alabama Rep. Patricia Todd as the organization’s executive director in a press release May 1. The selection follows an extensive nationwide search that began in August 2017.

Todd becomes the first executive director for the One Orlando Alliance, a non-profit group of more than 30 LGBTQ organizations formed in the days after the Pulse shooting on June 12, 2016.

“Patricia has been training for this role her whole life. She’s a natural fit and we’re delighted she’ll be joining the coalition in this important work,” said Jennifer Foster, chair of the board of directors and one of the original co-conveners of the Alliance, in a press release.

Todd served two years in Washington, D.C., with the National Organization for Women before moving to Alabama where she served as the executive director for AIDS Alabama, the statewide HIV/AIDS organization, and state director for the Human Rights Campaign. Todd became the first openly gay elected official to serve in the Alabama House of Representatives in 2006. She was re-elected in 2010 without opposition. After serving 12 years, she did not seek re-election. Her farewell speech to the House received a standing ovation.

“What excites board members the most about Patricia is her collaborative spirit. While she is steeped in policy experience, she understands that change happens through strong, trusted relationships and she’s not afraid to have open and honest conversations that further progress for all,” Foster said.

Under Todd’s leadership, the Alliance hopes to continue to bring together LGBTQ organizations and work to transform Central Florida into an accepting and unified community for all.

“I am honored to be selected as the executive director for One Orlando Alliance. I look forward to working alongside Alliance members to create a more inclusive Central Florida community,” Todd said in the press release. “The work of the One Orlando Alliance serves as a national model for how to pull community together in the wake of unimaginable tragedy. I’m humbled to help tell that story of the origin and even more excited about our shared vision for a stronger, more unified future. Together, the Alliance will ensure that justice and equality are rights of all who call Central Florida home.”

Todd begins her new executive director role with the Alliance on June 1.

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